Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-08-20
A BE fRAYED TRUST.
What Became OF ao8, 900 Square Miles OF
Public Land.

Public Land.
Chicago Express; The government
of the United States, holding in trust
for coming generations the public do.
main, has given away. during the life
of the Republican party, or sold at the
minimum price established to cover
costs OF survey and distribution, over
20S, 900 square miles of the peoples
land to thirteen corporate and twenty
private individuals.
Here is III empire of land owned by
thirty-three holders, embracing 1000
square miles more than the area of
France, 10000 more than Spain, 3S. 900
more than Great Britain and Ireland
combined, and as much as the entire
German empire.
The feudal system of England was
founded on 700 baronial estates of less
than an average of $50 square miles
each. In the United States thirty
three individuals and corporations
hold sufficient land TO constitute 1887
barenial estates equal to the average of
those OF the great chiefs of the Nor
man pirate. The history and expert
ence Of the world show that large cap
ital tends TO absorb small ones, and
that large estates invariably absorb
small holdings. This rule of absolp D.
ton of the lesser by the larger
holds equally good in regard to politi-
cal power and the personal and politi-
cal liberty. Large capitalists ccumu
iafn at the nxpnnSn nf cnnIt1nr ana
Large estates grow by absorbing lesser
ones, and vast powers are concentrated
at the sacrifice Of individual liberty.
The American republic was founded
On the basis Of human equality, the in
dividual rights of man. and a Just and
equitable distribution of sovereignty,
indie, "ndence and the means of pros
perity among the people. 70 maintain
such individual rights, and to insure
such equitable distribution, .he people
concentrated all their powers of SOW
ereignty and conferred them upon a
government of their own creation.
But instead of exercising these powers
for the purpose intended and expressly
declared in the constitution, the gov
eminent has betrayed is trust, usurped
powers notdelegated to it, and exer-
cised its delegated powers to destroy
that which 1t was ordained to protect.
1t has, without the authority of the
people. given the land inheritance of
posterity to vast monopolies, thus en-
failing upon coming generations the
curses OF vassaldge, instead of the
blessings of liberty In this 1t has
planted on the soil OF the republic a
Landed aristocracy 20 per cent. greater
than that established by the Norman
robber of En- gland, which for 200 year,
has marked the blacklist page of civil
lied history. The planting and pro-
tecting Of this monopoly viii as newt
ably result in he absorption of al the
lands of the people as did its English
and Roman predecessors. The
government has also. thu Ough
the enactment of special legisla-
ton, and the granting of special
powers and privileges, even TO the
parting with some of its sovereign pre-
negatives, built up vast capitalistic
monOpolies that are destined. if pro-
tected, to absorb the last vestige of in
dividual accumulations. The result of
these vast accumulations of wealth
upon individual and popular liberty is
not doubtful. 1t is "A recognized fact
by all students of political economy as
well as of history that wealth is power
at compound interest"
While the master slept the enemy
has been sowing tares. The people are
Just awaking from atwenty years sleep
to find their blVod-hought patrimony in
the possession of robbers and enemies,
who ara SO strongly fortified by law,
manufactured puolic sentiment and the
power Of wealth as to be well nigh in
yincibIe.
There are but two courses for the
people to pursue:
/. To tear down and scatter to the
four winds the bulwarks of protection
which the enemy has thrown up for
his defense. Take from him his i'll
gotten, wrongfully obtained powers
and possessions and distribute them to
their rightful owners, assume the pew
ers of government and r~e-establish the
republic upon its original basis. The
~monopolies will have no Just cause Of
complaint. They have no rights to be
deprived Of. for there are no rights in
wrongs. Patriots have given their
lives, mothers their sons, and wives
their husbands to establish liberty.
Why then have not their posterity a
right to protect and offend their in
%heritance, even by declaring contrahand
of war every resource Of power in the
hands 1f THAR apaniit
9. TO submit. To lie down in
despair, like overworkci beasts of
burden, and acknowledge that they do
not possess the macleod, ever with
the aid Of the ballot to emancipate
themselves.
His Anxiety Allayed.